The King and Queen visit Västmanland County

16:44 The King gave a speech, in which he said:
 
"The Queen and I are delighted to be visiting Västmanland today. Västmanland is like Sweden in miniature, with the southern Swedish deciduous forests in the south, the northern Swedish moorland of Bergslagen, and the fertile agricultural areas in between. During the day, we have visited four of the county's ten municipalities: Sala, Skinnskatteberg, Hallstahammar and Västerås. It has been very pleasing to see all the great initiatives and your energy. Keep this up in your continued work for the Västmanland of the future."

16:38 The King's Song was sung, after which County Governor Ingemar Skogö gave a speech.
 
16:30 The King and Queen arrived at Västerås and walked along the River Svartån towards Fiskartorget.

Västerås has two harbours, one of which is the Nordic region's largest lake harbour. The city also has Sweden's largest marina.
 
The railway is also important, with many people commuting to and from the city. A new travel centre is being built, in connection with which a whole new district is also under construction. Technology is the region's strength. The Nordic region's largest solar park is being built in Västerås.
 
16:01 The King and Queen departed by coach from Stallplan in Strömsholm to Västerås.

15:03 The King and Queen arrived at Strömsholm Riding School.

Here, horses are trained for the mounted Main Guard at K1. The horses are trained for a year before being transferred to the Life Guards' stables. There, the training continues before the horses join the changing-of-the-guard parade.

• Equestrian upper secondary school (agricultural upper secondary school, 3 years) and national sports upper secondary school
• University with hippologist programme, a branch of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
• Vocational training, through Higher Vocational Education, for professions such as farrier, driver for working horses, and various other courses for riding masters
• There is also a talent development programme for young riders, in association with the Swedish Equestrian Federation

14:44 The coach crossed the border into Hallstahammar Municipality. Chair of the Municipal Executive Board Catarina Pettersson spoke about the municipality.

In the late 1990s, a number of large industries closed down. Since then, the municipality has had to work to readjust. The municipality's slogan is now "The good life, close to the big city" Hallstahammar has made the transition from an industrial town to a town of small businesses. 15,400 people now live here.

14:01 The coach continued to Strömsholm Riding School in Hallstahammar Municipality.

Mining and prospecting geologist Stefan Sädbom explained about an EU project he is working with, with the aim of revitalising the mining industry in the Bergslagen district. The aim is to achieve sustainable mining. There are 10,500 closed-down mines in the area.
 
Demand for metals will increase, particularly in Asia. Last year, eleven percent of Sweden's exports consisted of minerals.
 
Bergslagen has potential, but the region needs to identify solutions in terms of investments, transport and workers with the right expertise.

County Governor Ingemar Skogö, what was important when planning for The King and Queen's visit to Västmanland County?
We want to reflect the country, and it was important to show parts that we believe The King and Queen will appreciate. We also wanted to link back to The King's visit forty years ago, including by visiting Sala. Variety is also important, and not just showing the county's best side — we also wanted to show the challenges we face, and social development.

13:00 Lunch was served in the Blue Room at the School for Forest Management.

12:18 Head of Department Torgny Söderman presented the school in the auditorium. The forest warden programme started here in 1945. The course leads to jobs including estate steward and timber purchaser. The school has a conscious focus on attracting women to apply, and the number of female students has risen. Today, around 20% of students are female.

International forest surveying work is currently being carried out with India and Vietnam. Torgny Söderman explained that there are many applicants for the education on offer, and that everyone finds a job after completing their education.

12:16 The King and Queen arrived at the School for Forest Management, Skinnskatteberg Manor.

11:24 The King and Queen were welcomed to Bergslagen by Chairman of Skinnskatteberg Municipal Executive Board Lars Andersson. He explained that 10% of the municipality's area is made up of nature reserves. This is the only municipality in the county with a university college: the School for Forest Management. He also explained that the municipality has reversed the depopulation trend.

He described Skinnskatteberg Municipality as a cultural municipality. There are many cultural entrepreneurs here, including galleries and the Theatre Machine cooperative in Riddarhyttan, with its wide international offering. Skinnskatteberg also has an independent cultural school.

The municipality has coped well during the recession. The major employers are a sawmill with around a hundred employees and the ventilation company System Air, which employs 400 people.

11:18 The coach crossed the border between Sala Municipality and Norberg Municipality. Here, the plains of Mälardalen are replaced by the mining district of Bergslagen.

10:46 The coach continued towards the School for Forest Management in Skinnskatteberg.

Per-Olof Rapp continued to describe Sala. The town was founded by King Gustaf II Adolf in 1624. This is a town with many small businesses — around 1,600 — of which half are agricultural. The municipality is working consciously to improve communications and thus attract people to come and live in Sala, for example to work in Stockholm while enjoying a good quality of life in Sala.

10:07 The King and Queen arrived at Väsby Kungsgård.

After a song from the Adam Choir, the County Governor spoke about Västmanland's nature and culture, and the mining industry. Mining is experiencing a resurgence. The landscape is like a miniature version of Sweden, with scenery reminiscent of the north and deciduous forests like those found in the south of Sweden.

Väsby Kungsgård

09:54 The coach arrived in Västmanland County. During the day, The King and Queen visited four of the county's ten municipalities.

The County Governor explained that Route 56, which the coach was travelling along, is an important transport route for the county.

08:36 The coach left the County Governor's official residence in Gävle, heading for Väsby Kungsgård in Sala Municipality.

The programme for The King and Queen's visit on Friday 30 August.

The day in Västmanland County concludes with dinner hosted by the County Governor at the County Governor's official residence, Västerås Castle.

County visits 2013

Find out more about the county visits here.